Atlanta Intown - June 2023

New To Market • 3118 W. Roxoboro Road NE

5 Bed | 4.5 Bath | Offered at $3,195,000

Italian Tuscan farmhouse with 5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, over 6800 square feet and oversized half acre lot.

New To Market • 1138 Zimmer Drive NW

5 Bed | 3 Bath | Offered at $1,550,000

Handsome Morningside residence on a coveted super quiet street. Features five bedrooms, new, top-of-theline kitchen, two-car garage, and level backyard.

with sports court, fire pit and more.

Coming Soon • 819 Wildwood Road

3 Bed | 2 Bath | Offered at $995,000

Charming Morningside cottage located on a corner lot with an open floor plan, brand-new kitchen, windows, fixtures and more, large deck , fenced yard and one-car garage.

Coming Soon • 1850 Wildwood Place NE

4 Bed | 3 Bath

To the studs total renovation of this Mid-century ranch with an open floor plan, four bedrooms, and high-end finishes throughout. Completion mid to late June.

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1819 Windemere Drive NE Photo

Ken

What will building ‘Cop City’ solve?

I was walking home from lunch on May 3 when I heard what sounded like every emergency vehicle in Atlanta converging all at once on Midtown.

Seconds later, the friend I’d just had lunch with texted from her Uber that something was going on at the Northside Hospital Midtown facility on West Peachtree.

As the cacophony of sirens continued, my cell phone started buzzing with alerts and messages. A shooting had occurred at the Northside medical offices, multiple people were shot, a suspect was on the loose, and Midtown buildings were being locked down. Including mine.

As I raced back to my desk, I already knew it was another mass shooting. This was the second one to occur in my neighborhood after last summer’s shooting by a woman disgruntled with her employers.

The usual round of “thoughts and prayers” were posted on social media, while U.S. lawmakers argued over the 2nd Amendment.

Republican leadership is entrenched in their immovable belief in gun rights, while most Democrats continue to call for gun control. As of this writing, there has been a tiny chink in the armor in, of all places, Tennessee, where the Republican governor has called for a legislative special session to tackle gun reform after the deadly Nashville school

Georgia Democrats called for a similar special session but were ignored by the Republican majority who believe even discussing gun control is an untouchable third rail.

Meanwhile, there’s the specter of the controversial Atlanta public safety training facility, which has been stuck with the “Cop City” moniker that, like “Murder Kroger,” is now part of the vernacular.

The location of Cop City on a piece of Atlanta-owned land in South DeKalb County was originally earmarked for a park since it’s part of the larger South River Forest,

envisioned just six years ago.

In the old “they were against it before they were for it” political shell game, Mayor Andre Dickens and many members of the Atlanta City Council have decided to press ahead with Cop City despite record-breaking public comment against it and the death of activist Manuel Teran on the property in January.

Cop City was viewed as the city’s cudgel against the secessionist movement using crime as a wedge issue for a ballot referendum, but with Buckhead City dead and buried, who and what is the 85-acre Cop City for?

Will it help deter mass shootings? The answer is an unequivocal no. It might help police and fire personnel better respond to them, but surely that’s not a selling point. Dickens has argued the training facility would help raise police standards and engagement in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, but it’s unclear how that will be accomplished at the site.

Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum and his predecessors have all pointed out that Atlanta’s high rate of shootings can’t be attributed to robberies or random acts of violence, but instead stem from disputes between parties that often know each other. How will Cop City solve that?

Of course, Atlanta’s police and firefighters need a training ground, but do they need it in both an environmentally and socioeconomically fragile area of the metro? City officials said they don’t have anywhere else to put it, which might come down to the fact that it’s 85 acres.

Unfortunately, the mayor and council let the activists seize the narrative of the potential benefits of the training center and I think Mayor Dickens and Co. understand there is no turning the ship around. Instead, they are plowing ahead – likely in June – to funnel more money into building it (read more on page 10).

As I write this on May 24, at least 40 people have been shot in the city of Atlanta since May 1 with most of the incidents classified as aggravated assault. Five of those people have died, including Amy St. Pierre – the victim of the Midtown mass shooting. There have been more than 200 mass shootings in America since Jan. 1.

Is the 85-acre Cop City going to significantly decrease those numbers? I’m waiting for someone to explain it to me. And so are many others in the city of Atlanta.

A rendering of the Atlanta training facility.

Mid-Year Real Estate Report

Metro market still strong despite interest rate hikes, low inventory

By Kathy Dean

Real estate markets have been thriving across the U.S. for the last few years, and the Atlanta scene has been especially robust. Still, the local housing market has been affected by the recent interest rate increases, as has the rest of the country.

Compared to April 2022, the number of sales in metro Atlanta, covering 11 counties, has dropped 33%. There has been a 24% decrease in new listings and an increase of 14% in total active listings. Still, the average home sales price of $497,864 has stayed the same since April

2022.

We checked in with several area professionals for the local perspective.

“The first half of 2023 has been interesting, to say the least,” said Erin Yabroudy, Lead Realtor, Erin Yabroudy & Associates, Harry Norman Realtors. She and her team cover the Buckhead, Intown, Sandy Springs, and Vinings areas.

“When interest rates began to approach 7% in late third quarter and early fourth quarter 2022, the market softened considerably. The overall economic forecast seemed relatively dismal, and buyers and sellers really paused,” Yabroudy stated. Rates are currently down from those highs and buyers seem to have accepted the new normal, she said. “We are seeing even more multiple offer situations and properties selling above list price than we

were last spring. Certainly, rates are higher than they were in recent history, but they are far lower than historical highs — they are actually lower than the average since 1971!”

According to Yabroudy, “Initially, we were expecting historical seasonality trends to continue in 2023, including a slight pause in the market in the early summer months when kids are out of school. However, the volatility of mortgage rates and inventory constriction felt earlier this spring has likely delayed sales activity that I believe will re-emerge during the upcoming summer months as inflation and interest rates continue to cool,” she said.

Multiple offers

Chrissy Neumann, agent with Neumann & Co., Ansley Real Estate, covers the Sandy Springs/Buckhead area. She stated that despite news reports, those areas have done extremely well. “Inventory is still low and buyer demand is still high. Looking at the $1 million to $2 million price point in 30342, there are still only 16 active homes, eight are pending and 32 have sold in the last six months.”

She said those numbers show that there is still a large demand for housing in the area.

“The average days on the market with that same data is only 19 and the average list price/ sales price ratio is 99.6%. In other words, if you put a good home on the market that is priced right, we are still seeing multiple offers every time.”

Neumann said that the good news is the slight increase in interest rates has seemed to take the “insanity” out of the market.

“In spring 2022, all sense of making offers based on market data was thrown out the window. Buyers were making

offers, sight unseen, $100,000 to $200,000 over list price, waiving their due diligence, appraisal, and finance contingencies.”

While the demand hasn’t decreased, things have settled back to a more balanced market in which buyers may only be competing against one or two offers and being allowed to have a due diligence to inspect the property. “Overall, I think the rate increase was very positive for our area and something that needed to happen to ensure a more balanced market,” she said.

Neumann expects inventory to stay low for the foreseeable future and said that there is talk of a rate cut. “You couple those two together and I think we might actually experience a big surge of activity in the second half — more than even the first half!”

This home at 1625 E. Sussex Road NE in Morningside-Lenox Park was on the market from Engel & Volkers Atlanta.

Erin Yabroudy

Chrissy Neumann

Serious buyers or kicking the tires?

The first half of the year has been busy for Matt LaMarsh, Atlanta Real Estate Advisor and Director of Communications for Engel and Völkers Atlanta. He covers the Sandy Springs area, and says “Low inventory, bidding wars, and increasing values still make the metro a great investment.”

“The uncertainty of interest rates for the last eight to 10 months has created a separation of buyers between the serious ones — those who have to move, relocations and exhausted renters with healthy down payments — and the tire kickers trying out the market passively,” LaMarsh added.

He noted that economists are predicting that there will be fewer sales this year “and the data definitely supports that so far.”

“The low inventory is making it a challenge for those would-be sellers to become buyers. I hear several times a month, ‘Matt, we would love to sell and realize that great equity jump, but where would we move? There’s nothing on the market in the area we want to live.’”

In LaMarsh’s own neighborhood of Mount Vernon Woods, comparable sales range as low as $300,000 and as high as $1.3 million. “That is a really wide gap for only 270 homes,” he said.

Looking forward, LaMarsh expects activity to pick up during the summer.

“So far in 2023, average prices inside

the perimeter (ITP) are up 10.6% at the end of April over where we started in January,” reported Kristen Pollock, Real Estate Advisor, Engel & Völkers Atlanta. “But that’s only part of the story. We’re also seeing homes selling a little slower on average than they were in the spring of 2022, which is to be expected.”

Although she’s licensed to help clients throughout the state, Pollock often works with clients in Intown areas including Morningside, Virginia Highland, Druid Hills, Midtown, West Midtown, Candler Park, Lake Claire and Decatur. She said that a year ago, the market was at its height with frequent multiple-offer scenarios.

“Rates had already started to rise, and buyers were trying to secure a home before they got much higher,” Pollock reported. “Now, rates are higher, and with fewer buyers in the market, some of the frenzy we were seeing back then has gone out of the market. Still, the pace of sales is faster than it was pre-pandemic. On average, homes ITP sold almost two weeks faster this April than in April 2019, a typical real estate year.”

Pollock stressed that Intown real estate is holding its value, and she’s not seeing the steep price drops that some buyers were expecting. New listings were down 22% in Intown this April compared to last, which can be in part attributed to sellers who are perhaps happier with their locked-in interest rate than their current home.

Intown Atlanta has been in a low

inventory situation for years and metro Atlanta would need 62,000 more homes this year to reach a balanced market, she explained. “We’re not on track for that. For this reason, we expect housing prices to hold, and an investment in Intown real estate to be a wise one for years to come.”

Still, Pollock is optimistic that the next dip in rates will result in an increase in sales and inventory as more sidelined buyers and sellers come back to the market. “I am seeing so many buyers and sellers waiting for the right opportunity to come their way. Even a slight dip in rates can set that in motion as it improves home affordability,” she said.

Low inventory remains

For Allen Snow, Broker Associate / Vice

President, Developer Sales and Marketing, Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, the overall Intown market has remained strong.

“Atlanta still has exceptionally low housing inventory, which is driving the strength of the market despite rising interest rates,” he said. “In my experience, the impact of higher interest rates is affecting home sales differently depending on price point. Homes of all types priced under $550,000 are moving quickly and the luxury market over $1.2 million remains robust.”

Snow noted that homes priced between $550,000 and $1.2 million are remaining on the market longer than the other two price point categories. As rates rise, purchasing power lowers, which explains why the lower price point homes are selling quickly, he said.

“Buyers in the luxury home market appear unphased by the higher rates as most of them are purchasing with cash or mostly cash with a small mortgage,” Snow explained.

“From what I see in the market, the higher rates are impacting the midpriced — $550,000 to $1.2 million —

market the most, due to the aforementioned reduction in purchasing power and because the majority of buyers in this price range are obtaining larger mortgages.”

Snow said he’s hopeful interest rates will settle in 5% to low 6% vicinity later this year. “Even if they don’t drop and remain at the current rates between 6.5-7%, they are reasonable compared to historical averages,” he stressed. “Additionally, I’m not seeing any evidence Intown housing inventories will rise significantly for the foreseeable future.”

Leigh Schiff is a Real Estate Advisor with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. She and her husband Michael head The Schiff Team; she’s the lead listing specialist, and he’s the lead buyer specialist.

In their territories of Buckhead / Sandy Springs, activity has been strong and constant in the first half of 2023, according to Leigh. “The homes that are priced

correctly and in move-in condition are the properties that receive multiple offers the first weekend they hit the market. Roughly one-third of new listings are selling the first weekend they are on the market,” she said.

Leigh said she thought the higher rates would reduce the number of buyers looking for homes, “but there are still plenty of buyers looking for a new place to live. Until inventory levels start rising to a level where it is a balanced market for buyers and sellers, it appears that the higher interest rates will have little to no impact on the buyer pool in Atlanta.”

And there’s no slowdown in sight. “I hate to be repetitive, but this is due to the limited inventory on the market and the constant influx of buyers into the local market. I feel that the market will stay stable for the unforeseeable future,” Leigh predicted.

Kristen Pollack

Allen Snow

Leigh & Michael Schiff

Matt LaMarsh

This home at 90 Palisades in Brookwood Hills was marketed by Erin Yabroudy & Associates, Harry Norman Realtors.

Juniper Street in Midtown is getting a big makeover, which will span 12 blocks between 14th Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue. The project will create a bikeway and improved pedestrian facilities while also ensuring that vehicular traffic moves through at a steady, but calmer, pace.

The former “Disco” Kroger on Piedmont Road in Buckhead will be razed to make room for a new Publix.

The Kroger was a staple for 50 years, outliving The Limelight nightclub that gave it the “disco” nickname.

Buckhead Safety Alliance has launched private security patrols by off-duty Atlanta Police Department officers who will canvas commercial areas in the neighborhood.

The shuttered Tara Theatre on Cheshire Bridge Road reopened May 25 under the ownership of Plaza Theatre’s Christopher Escobar. The revived cinema will show a mix of indie, arthouse, classic, and foreign films.

Hundreds urge city council to stop ‘Cop City’ facility

By Dyana Bagby

Hundreds of people packed into Atlanta City Hall to speak out against building a controversial $90 million public safety training center in the South River Forest during a marathon council meeting on May 15.

Nearly 300 people from Metro Atlanta urged council members to deny taxpayer money be used to fund construction of the training center, dubbed “Cop City” by opponents. Speaker after speaker said taxpayer money would be better spent on

issues such as addressing the city’s affordable housing crisis, funding education, and building better transportation projects.

Despite more than seven hours of opposition, legislation to approve $30 million in public funds for the training center was introduced by Councilmember Dustin Hillis for a future vote by the council. The legislation would also authorize Mayor Andre Dickens to enter into a leaseback agreement for the training center with the Atlanta Police Foundation.

The proposed ordinance by Hillis is supported by Councilmembers Byron Amos,

Marci Collier Overstreet, Howard Shook, Matt Westmoreland, and Mary Norwood. The city funds would be used to “to support the continued construction of and improvements to the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.” Hillis also proposed an additional $1 million be used to build a gymnasium on the site.

The $30 million would come from the city’s 2023 uncommitted general fund balance; the $1 million from public safety impact fees.

Hillis said in a text message after the meeting the $30 million has been the city’s portion of building the training center since its approval in 2021.

“It will eventually be repaid, such as through a general obligation bond, although the exact mechanism hasn’t been identified yet,” he said.

The nonprofit Atlanta Police Foundation is to raise the remaining $60 million in private and corporate dollars needed to build the training center.

Activists vow to ‘Stop Cop City’

Even before the marathon public comment session, long lines of people chanted “Stop Cop City!” as they waited to enter the council chambers following a rally outside City Hall. Not everyone could fit into the chamber due to fire safety regulations, so they filled the City Hall atrium. Their chants echoed loud enough to be heard by council members inside the chamber.

No one spoke in favor of the public safety training center. Many people chided the council for wanting to spend millions of dollars on police when the city is known for having the worst income inequality in the nation.

On Jan. 18, Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran, 26, was shot and killed during

a confrontation with law enforcement clearing the property, bringing national and international attention to “Cop City.” Some violent protests following Teran’s killing resulted in dozens of arrests of activists from out-of-state and other countries who now face charges including domestic terrorism.

Micah Herskind, a journalist and policy associate at the Southern Center for Human Rights, said the hundreds of people who showed up at City Hall to speak out against the multimillion-dollar public safety training center are part of a two-year grassroots movement. The vast majority of those taking time out of their day to address the council are from metro Atlanta, Herskind said.

“If you do decide to vote for the … funding, know that you are not standing with the community,” Herskind said.

“This doesn’t need to go on any longer. You can stop it,” Herskind said. “You can be brave. You can stand up to the Atlanta Police Foundation. You can make a difference. Stop Cop City. Don’t support this funding.”

Activists gathered outside Atlanta City Hall on May 15 to show their opposition to the construction of ‘Cop City.’ (Photo by Dyana Bagby)

Experience the difference.

People who choose our community want much more than just a beautiful place to live. They want engaging social opportunities, fine dining, impressive fitness & wellness programs, and expert care services should the need arise. They want someone who really understands.

Meet the team and see how our experience makes all the difference in your experience at The Piedmont.

Please call 404.369.7523 to schedule a tour.

Renewed calls for gun control follow Midtown shooting

By Collin Kelley and Ross Williams

There have been renewed calls for gun control following the May 3 shooting at a Midtown medical office that left one dead and four wounded.

Amy St. Pierre, 38, was killed, while Lisa Glynn, Georgette Whitlow, Jazzmin Daniel, and Alesha Hollinger were wounded in the incident.

St. Pierre was a foundational member of the CDC’s Maternal Mortality Prevention Team, as well as active with nonprofits including New American Pathways, the Preeclampsia Foundation, and immigration advocacy group El Refugio.

Her family released a statement describing the wife and mother of two as the “best of the best.”

“Our beloved Amy was brilliant, kind, big-hearted and simply the ‘best of the best’. An Emory honors graduate and Georgia State MBA, Amy traveled the world with curiosity and courage. She was driven by compassion, both in her work in the field of maternal mortality, and in her everyday life. Amy was selfless always, she wanted more for others but never for herself. Generous supporter of worthy causes, she was the social conscience of our family.

Loving wife and mother of two, middle sister to two brothers, and cherished daughter, she was truly our pride and joy. Amy’s friends are the best reflection of the person she was. Their outpouring of tears, love and support are beyond measure.

She will be missed but never, ever forgotten.”

Deion Patterson, 24, was arrested the same day of the shooting after an hours-long manhunt and is charged with murder and aggravated assault in the case. He waived his first court appearance and is being held in the psychiatric unit of the Fulton County Jail.

Patterson’s mother, Minyone Patterson, told AP that she had accompanied her son, a former Coast Guardsman, to an appointment at the Laureate Medical Group office at the Northside Medical Midtown facility on West Peachtree Street. She said her son had “some mental instability going on” from medication that he began taking last Friday but did not say which drug.

Minyone Patterson said her son wanted a prescription for Ativan to deal with anxiety and depression. He had previously sought the medication from the Atlanta VA Medical Center but was denied.

“Those families, those families,” she said to AP. “They’re hurting because they wouldn’t give my son his damn Ativan. Those families lost their loved ones because he had a mental break because they wouldn’t listen to me.”

On May 18, the fifth anniversary of the 2018 Sante Fe High School shooting that left 10 people dead and 13 others wounded, President Joe Biden issued a statement urging Congress to act on a list of gun safety proposals. Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, whose children were on school lockdown after the Midtown shooting, and Congresswoman Lucy McBath echoed his calls at a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol.

“If we can’t keep our own people alive, save our own babies, if we can’t guarantee parents that when you drop your kids off, they’ll be OK, then what are we doing in this building?” Warnock said. “And so there’s no action that’s taking place in light of these recent tragedies, and what’s more is that there’s virtually no conversation happening in the Congress, even as the nation is focused on these issues.”

McBath also had strong words for colleagues who oppose new gun laws.

“Thoughts and prayers are not stopping this carnage, and if that’s all that my colleagues have to offer to these survivors that we have every single day, I suggest that you save your strength,” she said. “Because faith without works is dead. Prayer without action is hollow. We must continue to follow a path to action. We have the tools to dam this river of despair. It’s common sense solutions that save lives. It’s background checks. It’s red flag laws. It’s banning assault weapons.”

Biden’s proposed list of regulations includes safe storage requirements, a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, universal background checks and legal liability for gun manufacturers.

State Democrats in Georgia also called for a special legislative session to consider gun regulations, but that is unlikely to occur due to the Republican majority.

Father’s Day, help Dad attract birds with the right combination of feeders, food and hardware.

Amy St. Pierre

Gordon Lightfoot’s passing stirs summer memories

MAY I BE EXCUSED

The recent passing of music legend Gordon Lightfoot has me thinking about simpler summer days. In the seventies, I swear, a family of twelve could join a YMCA pool for a summer for a couple hundred bucks. And it was so much more than a pool. There was a ball field, a basketball/tennis court, picnic tables, and charcoal grills. There were even trails in the woods marked out by the day campers. We’d swim of course, but the day was long and filled with so much outdoor fun.

We’d pile into our family’s wood-paneled station wagon and the cooler filled with hotdogs, watermelon, and lemonade doubled as a prime seat. The drive took about 20 minutes, and the A.M. radio would play the songs that we all knew by heart. I must have been all up in my feelings as a little guy because I loved songs like “Sundown” by Lightfoot, “All by Myself” by Eric Carmen, and “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glen Campbell. I had no idea what a Rhinestone Cowboy was (still don’t) but I was certain I was born to be one. My siblings must love me because they haven’t widely shared this.

My wife Kristen’s family is perhaps the biggest Gordon Lightfoot fans this side of the Canadian border. It came from their father Bob Riehman. Like I always imagined Gordon to be, Bob was the kind of guy you’d want to hang out with on a porch. He was fond of plucking a guitar and singing a tune himself and he spun the heck out of those Lightfoot albums. Upon hearing that Gordon had passed so many people said it made them think of Bob and that shines nicely on them both. One time Lightfoot was to play at an amphitheater in Peachtree City. I was so excited about the tailgate party I made fried chicken for the first and only time in my life. We had a blast in the parking lot, playing old favorites like “Cotton Jenny”, “Rainy Day People” and “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. Although we did wonder where everyone else was…this is Gordon freakin’ Lightfoot! Right before

the show started the golf cart people quietly arrived, neatly parked around us, and filed into the amphitheater like it was a Sunday service. I’m not so sure Peachtree City deserved Gordon Lightfoot but the show was excellent.

Another time my sister-in-law Betsy who also lives in Atlanta called her mother Pat back in New Jersey and Pat just whispered, “I can’t talk” in what must have been an alarming tone. Betsy tried calling back but no luck. She worried. She came over to our house. We worried. Was Pat kidnapped? Was she in the trunk of a car? We panicked. We called family in New Jersey, neighbors, friends, and eventually, local law enforcement. Where was Pat? Why couldn’t she talk??!!

Well, she was at a Gordon Lightfoot concert and it would have been rude of her to talk on the phone. If only we could read her mind, huh? But this served as a great impetus for Pat to learn how to text plus the family now has a universal safe word should we ever find ourselves held against our will: “Gordon.”

As an adult now, it seems “Sundown” might have been about infidelity or maybe even addiction? But to me as a young child, it was simply about the day coming to an end. When the sun was hanging low and dipping below the trees that encircled the YMCA property, I knew it was about time to go home. I figured both me and Gordon weren’t too happy about that. Maybe this summer in his honor we should all seek out a few of those long, leisurely days and a few of those moments that feel so perfect that we just don’t want the sun to go all the way down.

Tim Sullivan

Frontline Housing helps families find permanent homes

By Clare S. Richie

Frontline Housing’s Motel to Home Program seeks to move 365 metro Atlanta families to permanent housing in 2023 by providing financial support and well-being workshops.

“We are at about 150 families housed so far, a little ahead of pace,” said founder and executive director of Frontline Housing, Mary Grace King. “Families find themselves living in motels for different reasons. A lot of them are housing barriers – low credit, eviction, household size, move-in costs. We work with them to reduce those barriers and find permanent housing.”

Eligible families have lived in a motel for at least 30 days, have school-age children, verifiable income and identification. The nonprofit provides $1,000 in move-in fees and $500/month for four months.

“Families save $250 of that $500 and attend one financial workshop each month to build emergency savings,” King said. “Families are dying to know about credit and how to buy a house.”

Korrinne Allen and her three children (ages 20, 17, and 14) landed in a motel after their apartment was destroyed by a fire.

“I just moved here from California two years ago,” Allen said. “The fire was heartbreaking. We lost our memories and our cat.”

Despite two years of paying rent, Allen’s landlord wouldn’t rent her another unit because of her credit score. Thankfully, Red Cross connected her to Frontline Housing. “Within 2 months, I had a place that is cleaner and nicer,” Allen said. Her former apartment had mold and a persistent water leak.

Allen paid $1,600 a month at the motel

Atlanta Fine Homes, LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each franchise is independently owned and operated.

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Selling exceptional Intown

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Veronica Dobnye and her family were aided by Frontline Housing, which helped her find permanent housing in March.

Partners, from left: Corby Hannah (Housing Plus), Joy Monroe (Single Parent Alliance & Resource Center), Phillip Hunter (Community Restoration Project), Mary Grace King (Frontline Housing)

but now has an apartment at $1,463.

“My credit score and working for a temp agency was holding us back,” Allen said. Her new landlord recognized “we had the income. Me and my two daughters have jobs.”

Frontline Housing partners with providers like Single Parent Alliance & Resource Center (SPARC).

“Working together helps us ensure that our families receive high quality effective programs,” said Joy Monroe, director at SPARC. “Frontline is an incredible partner that helps us support families in their transition from homelessness to stably housed.”

Veronica Dobnye, her significant other, and her daughter traveled from Chicago to Atlanta for a “new start” and lived in a motel for six months. Thanks

to Frontline Housing, she moved into her new apartment in March 2023. After attending the tenant’s rights workshop, she felt confident about her lease.

“It gave me a little more hope that I do have help,” Dobnye said. “It’s a good program to be in – to help people move into an apartment. It’s kind of hard out here.”

“When people picture homelessness –they picture someone on the street asking for food or change,” King said. “I would love for people to know that these are really hard working families who want more for their kids and their future.”

To find out more and how you can volunteer your time, visit frontlinehousing.org.

The Frontline Housing team leads a workshop.

Metro Atlanta families gathered earlier this spring to celebrate the graduating class of 2023. Here are the top students honored as valedictorians and salutatorians for local public and private schools.

Atlanta Public Schools

Atlanta Classical Academy

Elizabeth Richter (V)

Elizabeth Stinespring (S)

Benjamin E. Mays High School

Shavon Bell (V)

Tori Broadnax (S)

B.E.S.T. Academy High School

Jaquawn McKelvey-Fludd (V)

Noah Morales (S)

Booker T. Washington High School

Trinity Clay (V)

Mahamad Drammeh (S)

Charles R. Drew High School

Cheyenne George (V)

Nadea Davis (S)

Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy

Karen Gamez-Amador (V)

Somalia Gilliard (S)

Daniel M. Therrell High School

Enam Amevo (V)

Abigail Hudson (S)

Frederick Douglass High School

Amiyah Scott (V)

Jaden Jones (S)

George Washington Carver Early College

Destiny Hudson (V)

Annie Ware (S)

George Washington Carver STEAM

Academy

Aquantis Clemmons (V)

Kamron Murphy (S)

KIPP Atlanta Collegiate

Aniyah Johnson (V)

Dymond Wilcox (S)

Maynard H. Jackson High School

Abbey Heyns (V)

Cassidy Nankervis (S)

Midtown High School

Aran Sonnad-Joshi (V)

Sayan Sonnad-Joshi (S)

North Atlanta High School

Catherine Zappa (V)

Benjamin Song (S)

South Atlanta High School

Jeremiah Longino (V)

Juwarriyyah Mahmood and Guadalupe

Suastegui (S)

DeKalb County Schools

Druid Hills High School

Thomas Wainwright (V)

Sunney Gao (S)

Private Schools

Atlanta Jewish Academy

Sam Kutner (V)

Jemima Schoen and Rebecca Solon (S)

Ben Franklin Academy

Ella Greenbaum (V)

Pranay Pingali (S)

Capstone Academy

CeCe Hobbs (V)

Sebastian Washington (S)

Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School

Sergio Chavez (V)

Bae Reh (S)

Greater Atlanta Christian School

Sophia Nguyen (V)

Cecile Nguyen (S)

Holy Innocents Episcopal School

Hunter Newsome (V)

Parker Miles and Katherine Poch (S)

Holy Spirit Preparatory School

Riordan Gatwood (V)

Emil Sacco (S)

The Lovett School

Miles Montgomery Phillips (V)

Wesley Alexander Caldwell (S)

Mount Vernon School

Benjamin Reagin (V)

Campbell Bruening (S)

Pace Academy

Emma Elizabeth Neville (V)

Marit Alexandra Travers UyHam (S)

The Weber School

Amelia Heller (V)

Dov Karlin (S)

Wesleyan School

Zachary Gan (V)

Jackson Murphy (S)

Westminster

Clara Wang and Luke Guan (V)

Kara Stevens and Tyler Harris (S)

Whitefield Academy

Kyla Robinson (V)

Wini Caldwell (S)

Woodward Academy

Samanyu Sannappa Gangappa and Amelia

Morgan Tong (V)

Namit Miglani (S)

MILLION-DOLLAR MARKETING IN ALL PRICE RANGES

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Don’t miss these big June events

By Collin Kelley

There are plenty of events happening around the metro this June (be sure to check out HowDoYouAtlanta.com to see more), but these definitely need to be on your calendar.

Atlanta Fringe Festival

The 11th annual event takes place June 5-11 at venues across the city with live theatre, improv comedy, puppetry, magic, storytelling, and more. Get tickets and see the full lineup at atlantafringe.org.

▼Water for Elephants

The Alliance Theatre is staging the world premiere of the musical based on the bestselling novel from June 7 to July 9. Romance, deception, and a little bit of magic are all thrown in about this traveling circus. Tickets are on sale now at alliancetheatre.org.

▲Virginia-Highland Summerfest

The 38th annual free event is Saturday, June 10, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. featuring fine art, live music, a 5K run, children’s activities, and more. There will be music all day and the event will be capped off by headliners Perpetual Groove. The festival is produced by the Virginia-Highland Civic Association, this nonprofit fundraiser supports the maintenance of the neighborhood and highlights area shopping, dining, and nightlife. Get more details and the full music lineup at vahisummerfest.org.

Midnight Market

Head to Atlantic Station in West Midtown on June 9-10 from 6 to 11:55 p.m. There will be more than 30 restaurants and food trucks serving tastes from around the world, multiple bars, outdoor vendors and an artist market, free roller skating, live DJs and dancing, free games, and more. Tickets range

in price from $25 for general admission to $55 for VIP. Visit atlanticstation.com for more details.

Juneteenth Celebration

The Atlanta History Center in Buckhead will hold its annual Juneteenth celebration on Sunday, June 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The commemoration will connect visitors to the crucial moment in American history when the last slaves were emancipated in Texas. This year’s immersive celebration will feature live music, storytelling, interactive activities, and more. Get more details at atlantahistorycenter.com.

►Family Food Fest

The 9th annual Father’s Day celebration is set for Sunday, June 18, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Georgia Freight Depot next door to Underground Atlanta. There will be plenty

of food to taste from local chefs, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, a kid’s zone, and much more. The event raises funds for the nonprofit Atlanta Culinary Charities, which supports afterschool and weekend programs for youth. Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Visit familyfoodfest.org for more information.

Food That Rocks

Sandy Springs is hosting its annual Food That Rocks event on June 8 from 7 to 10 p.m. at City Springs, 1 Galambos Way. Nearly 30 restaurants will be offering tastes, a dessert bar, and bottomless wine, beer, and cocktail tastings. There will also be live music from The Geek Squad. Tickets are $85 for general admission and $125 for VIP, which includes 6 p.m. early access and a swag bag. See the restaurant lineup and more details at foodthatrocks.org.

Lud modeling a dress by Alix (Madame Grès) for Vogue. Courtesy of the Horst P. Horst Estate and @TheArtDesignProjectGallery.

Home cooks unite to create Chow À La Carte

By Clare S. Richie

Chow À La Carte, where Atlanta home cooks and chefs from different cultural backgrounds prepare lunch and dinner offerings Friday through Sunday is officially open at Uptown Test Kitchen.

UNDER CONTRACT

The idea for Chow À La Carte was born from the popular monthly supper club, Chow Club Atlanta, cofounded by Yohana Solomon and Amanda Plumb. The supper club brings people together to share a unique menu, connect with the featured chef and learn about Atlanta’s immigrant and refugee communities.

“We learned through Chow Club that people come for the food but come back for the community,” Solomon said. “I always dreamed of a brick-andmortar space that will allow home cooks a chance to grow.”

717 Piedmont Avenue | Midtown

Solomon said she’d seen too many hard-working, talented home cooks give up because of impossible overhead and lack of access to customers.

To make her dream a reality, Solomon teamed up with Uptown Test Kitchen, a restaurant space at 2440 Piedmont Road in the 120,000-square-foot mixed-use Uptown Atlanta destination. Accessible by MARTA, it’s a quick walk from the Lindbergh station platform to sample small plates (priced $3 and up) from chefs that hail from Nigeria, Italy, Colombia, Philippines, the Caribbean, and more.

Chef Deborah Kudelka, a private chef

with 25 years of culinary experience, will prepare Italian, French, and Polishinfluenced cuisine, including meatballs, sautéed radicchio, and arancini (a stuffed fried rice ball).

“Everything I’m doing is street food,” Kudelka said. “Pick it up in your hands and eat it. Even the sauteed radicchio will be in sleeves or rolled up in packs to take home.”

As the days get hotter, cool off with a 5-ounce cup (or two!) of Ciao Chow’s Ethiopian-Italian fused gelato, the cocreation of Solomon and Kudelka.

“We tested our gelato with about 100 Chow Club members in April,” Kudelka said. “‘Ponce de Limone’ [the lemon sorbet] was the favorite but ‘A Woman Scorned’ made a strong impression with the heat from the Ethiopian Berbere spice rising in your mouth after a bite of cold creamy Italian chocolate.”

Chef Andrea George, founder of Rapid Gourmet, cooked salt fish cakes (“an island favorite”), rum and raisin bread pudding with rum sauce, and tropical mango pineapple lemonade for the May 18 opening.

“Anything that brings the community together, that celebrates culture and

diversity excites me because I think we need it more than ever,” George said. “Food is one of the main ways we can understand each other, celebrate each other and create community.”

Chow À La Carte will also offer traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremonies, cooking classes, monthly Chow Club dinners and more.

“Come join our village,” Solomon urged.

More details and the latest information about Chow À La Carte will be available at uptownatlanta.com, or follow @ UptownAtlanta on Facebook and Instagram.

Nestled in the shadow of Midtown’s iconic skyline, 717 HOUSE has been meticulously restored.  Built in 1912, this Prairie style architectural masterpiece features the Main House with 3 fireplaces, exquisite finishes, and expansive deck overlooking gorgeous rear gardens. Carriage House, detached 3 car Garage, and two private Apartment Suites provide a unique opportunity for this stunning property.

Chow A La Carte has opened at Uptown Test Kitchen in Buckhead.

Yohana Solomon

Deborah Kudelka

Summer wine suggestions

With summer just around the corner, it's time to start thinking about the refreshing wines you’ll be drinking this season to help you stay cool. Whether you're looking for a crisp white to pair with seafood or a chillable red to accompany your barbeque, the selection process can be a bit overwhelming.

To make things easier for you, we’ve put together a quick guide to some of our favorite summer white wines that will help you beat the heat and enjoy the season with friends and family.

As the classics are making their way back into households on heavy rotation, be on the lookout for these varietals and regions that have been deemed Atlanta’s Summer 2023 must-have whites:

Grüner Veltliner: Talk about a wine having its moment! We can't seem to keep enough

Grüner on the shelves. Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s most widely planted grape varietal. This crisp, tangy white wine is known for its distinct flavors of white pepper, lime,

Send us photos of you and your pets

For our July issues we will be feature photos of our readers with their beloved furry and feathered friends in the annual Pets & Their People issue, sponsored by Scenthound.

Grab your pup, kitty, rabbit, guinea pig, parrot, or other critters and pucker up for the camera.

Send your high-resolution images (1MB or higher) by June 14 to collin@roughdraftatlanta.com.

Be sure to include your name and your pets’ names.

and stone fruit. It's extremely approachable and food friendly. Fun fact: Austria is the land of the Wiener Schnitzel served with a vinegarbased potato salad, always paired with a glass of Grüner Veltliner. Sounds like more people in Atlanta need to be pairing Grüner Veltliner with fried chicken and lemon pepper wings.

Suggested Wine: 2021 Brunn Grüner Veltliner 1 Liter, Niederosterreich, Austria.

Sauvignon

Blanc: French Sauvignon Blanc has become increasingly popular over the past few years, and this summer is no exception. Who doesn’t love a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre, France’s go-to region for the grape varietal. While Sancerre has always been a hot commodity, the recent perception of increased popularity might have something to do with the increase in scarcity. Winemakers in Sancerre have had several challenging growing seasons resulting in the production of less Sauvignon Blanc. The less wine they make, the less we get in the United States, the more we want it. But have no fear; just next to Sancerre is a region called Touraine that

also makes exceptional Sauvignon Blanc at a fraction of the cost. Touraine Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect wine to stock up on and have at the house for any summer occasion.

Suggested Wine: 2022 Vincent Roussely L'Escale Sauvignon Blanc, Touraine, Loire Valley, France.

Albariño: We hope deep down in our hearts that every summer, people will continue to obsess over Albariño the way we do. It’s our favorite wine to pair with fish, oysters, or that simple lemon caper pasta that blows your mind every time. Albariño is a dry white wine from the Iberian Peninsula, hence its natural affinity to seafood. Albariño has a beautiful texture, mouth watering acidity, with notes of lemon peel, melon, and salty sea spray. It’s the perfect white wine for any season, but particularly the warm ones. Mark your calendars! Aug. 1is Albarano Day!

Suggested Wine: 2022 Forjas de Salnes Leirana Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain.

Wines of Portugal: Much like Albariño from Rias Baixas (known as Alvarinho in Portugal), the wines of Portugal are also in high demand at the moment. When looking for a low ABV wine, Vinho Verde is always a great option with an average abv between 8%-11%. The region of Vinho Verde produces many serious, still white wines, but is most commonly known for its effervescent, cheerful, everyday drinking wines. The fizzy Vinho Verde is perfect for afternoon picnics or an aperitif. Both the branco (white) and the tinto (reds) from Portugal can be fresh and lively on the palate depending on the region and producer.

Suggested Wines 2021 Luis Seabra 'Xisto Ilimitado' Branco, Douro, Portugal

Katie Rice & Sarah Pierre

Office tower planned for Ponce at BeltLine

8

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By Dyana Bagby

A new tower could soon replace a parking lot on Ponce de Leon Avenue near the bustling Atlanta BeltLine’s Eastside Trail.

The 250,000-square-foot development named 715 Ponce would include groundfloor retail, seven stories of office space, an amenity floor, and five levels of parking. It would rise on the 1-acre lot between Green’s Beverages and the Ford Factory Lofts and adjacent to 725 Ponce, the 12-story office and retail tower located on the Beltline across from Ponce City Market.

The project is the second phase of 725 Ponce, completed by New City Properties in 2019 and sold to Cousin Properties for just over $300 million in 2021. New City and Cousins are working together on the proposed 715 Ponce project.

“This is a long time coming,” Jim Irwin, president of New City Properties, told members of the Atlanta BeltLine Design Review Committee during a presentation of the project at their May 17 meeting.

“[This] is something that we’ve always had in mind from the beginning.”

Initial plans for 715 Ponce include a “crack,” or passage, through the building so pedestrians and cyclists can access the Beltline via the 725 Ponce plaza. Irwin said he also wants to build a pedestrian bridge between Green’s and an apartment building to connect to the Freedom Park trail.

Food and beverage vendors are planned

for the rooftop and ledges for irrigated plants are being considered as part of the building’s design. The building would be made of all masonry, including some glazed terracotta around retail entrances.

Irwin said a timeline for the project is still to be determined. Currently, talks are taking place with Green’s to make improvements to the store, including a potential expansion, in exchange for the ability to build above the liquor store, he said.

“I can tell you the committee was really happy to see that Green’s is being saved,” said DRC member David Hamilton and principal at Praxis3 Architects. “I think a lot of people will be.”

Irwin said when he worked for Jamestown Properties in 2010 and led the development of Ponce City Market, an Atlanta City Council member told him, “I love what you’re doing, just don’t mess with my Green’s.”

“Yes, ma’am, I promise,” he said he told her. “And I’ve remembered that ever since.

Jay Suever, senior project manager for Atlanta BeltLine Inc., told Irwin the space for the project is a “tough puzzle, but I think you all figured it out.”

Hamilton had high praise for the project as well.

“I think you’ve done it again,” he said.

“I really appreciate how you’ve really upped the game and upped the paradigm for architecture along the Beltline and architecture in Atlanta in general,” Hamilton said. “I hope that other developers … take your example to heart.”

Root Local, an environmental organization he co-founded in 2022 , and Open Hand Atlanta , where he chairs the Advisory Board and is co-chairing the organization’s annual fundraiser, Party in the Kitchen , this year on Sept. 28

Above all, Whitfield makes a point to live life to the fullest and does the best he can to help his clients to do the same. “I love to dream with my clients and discuss their plans for the future,” he says. “Many times, couples haven’t had the 5-10-15 year-plan conversation, and I enjoy going through that with them and hearing what they want out of life.”

BUTCH WHITFIELD REALTOR ®

A tenured real estate professional with more than 20 years of experience , Butch Whitfield is a living, breathing example of “if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.”

Inspired by his parents who own a real estate firm in North Carolina , Whitfield has been helping Atlantans find their perfect home and build property investment portfolios since 2001. “The job is a constant challenge and I enjoy that, ” he says. “More than any other, this career allows me to meet people from all around the world who enrich our lives. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to move to Atlanta in 2001 and start my career when I was 26. I love being a part of the tremendous growth our city has experienced.”

In addition to his accomplished career, Whitfield has been equally dedicated to two nonprofits for more than two decades:

Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee

ABOVE THE WATER LINE

Sally Bethea

Thirty years ago, country singer Alan Jackson released his hit single about muddy water, a lot of living, and a little loving on the Chattahoochee River near his hometown of Newnan — located on the southern (downstream) fringes of metro Atlanta. Way down yonder on his boyhood river, Jackson recalls learning how to swim and who he was on days “hotter than a hoochie coochie.”

The music video that accompanied this timeless summer classic — with Jackson water-skiing in torn jeans and a cowboy hat — won the Country Music Award for video of the year in 1993. If you’ve never seen it, the clip is worth a watch. The song’s upbeat tempo and images of youthful enthusiasm will put a smile on your face. As “Chattahoochee” co-writer Jim McBride said at the time: “People just associate with that song. With most people, there’s a river that they have memories about.”

The season for making new summer memories is now upon us. Where will you head? To the beach, your favorite river, or a lakeside cabin? Perhaps you’ll play with

your children or grandchildren beside a neighborhood creek. Wherever you go to cool off on the hot days that are sure to come, I wish you clean, safe, and trash-free waters. Today, your favorite swimming and fishing holes are likely to be cleaner than they were when Jackson’s most successful song was released three decades ago. Holding Polluters Accountable

Over the past 30 years, as journalists, photographers, and filmmakers produced stories about environmental threats, the general public took a closer look at the waterways in their hometowns: the streams in their backyards and the rivers and lakes

that serve as playgrounds and drinking water supplies. Concerned about more harm to their communities and armed with new scientific data, the public demanded that clean water laws be enforced; they insisted that polluters be held accountable to protect people, wildlife, and property.

Environmental advocates became more numerous and effective in their strategies to achieve clean, swimmable waters, using legal actions when needed. With greater resources — thanks to volunteers and generous donors — substantial improvements have been made. Our rivers, lakes, streams, and beaches are cleaner and safer, although the specter of emerging contaminants, such as microplastics and “forever chemicals,” remains, as does the ubiquitous problem of trash.

Around the world, the “waterkeeper” movement (waterkeeper.org) began to proliferate in the 1990s. There are now seventy-five waterkeeper groups in the Southeast alone, including my former organization, Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK, chattahoochee.org), which will celebrate its own thirtieth anniversary next year. Alan Jackson’s song was a prelude, then the soundtrack, for CRK’s early years, when, joined by downstream communities and riverfront landowners, the organization successfully sued the city of Atlanta to stop its chronic sewage spills

After spending more than $2 billion to upgrade its crumbling sewer system, the city no longer regularly dumps untreated sewage into the river and its tributaries. With the help of tens of thousands of volunteers, more than 2.2 million pounds of trash have been pulled from the Chattahoochee and its watershed by CRK over the decades. Other Georgia waterways have experienced similar successes fostered by collaboration, monitoring, land protection, policy changes, and legal actions.

The Problem with Rain

Polluted storm runoff remains a big problem. Anything dumped or dropped on the ground or in a gutter can end up in the nearest body of water. Stormwater pollution results from materials, chemicals, and trash washed into the storm drains from streets, yards, rooftops, parking lots, construction sites, and industrial operations, e.g. chemical manufacturing, poultry

processing, landfills, mining, and hazardous waste treatment.

When large, even small construction sites are graded without installing erosion control measures, muddy water flows offsite and downslope to the nearest stream every time it rains. The results include harm to aquatic plants and animals, clogged stream channels, toxic green-blue algae fed by excess nutrients, and higher bills for more expensive drinking water treatment.

This type of pollution is significant because — unlike the water that goes down a sink or toilet in your home — stormwater is untreated. It flows directly to a lake, river, or the ocean, unless it is slowed by trees, plants, and rain gardens that allow the water to soak into the ground. Dense urban areas, like Atlanta’s core with its sixteen-lane Downtown Connector (I-75/85), produce massive floods of stormwater.

Making matters worse, the increasing air temperatures of climate change bring more intense storms to the Southeast: more polluted runoff, more flooding, and more days that are hotter than a “hoochie coochie.”

Although the government, at all levels, is required to manage this pollution, agencies rarely have sufficient resources or political will to get the job done; environmental groups and others have had to step up and take some responsibility. Over the years, CRK has invested heavily and successfully in training, monitoring, policy-making, and enforcement programs to stop muddy and toxic stormwater from leaving construction sites and industrial sites, respectively.

Despite ongoing challenges, the news about today’s Chattahoochee is good. As the river slowly meanders past Alan Jackson’s hometown, the water is dramatically cleaner; one day, the time may even be right to drop “muddy” from the lyrics of his biggest hit.

Ways You Can Stop Stormwater Pollution

■ Maintain your car or truck. Never dump anything into a storm drain. Recycle used oil, antifreeze, and other fluids. Wash your car at a commercial facility or on a lawn, not on a paved surface.

■ Reduce your use of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Mulch lawn clippings. Plant trees. Replace some of your lawn with native, droughtresistant plants.

■ Direct downspouts to vegetated areas, not a storm drain in the street.

■ Have septic systems regularly inspected and pumped out when needed.

■ Scoop pet poop and properly dispose of it.

Alan Jackson in the “Chattahoochee” music video.

GET OUT OF TOWN

A Weekend in Destin

White sand, blue water, delicious seafood, and memorable sunset cruises

Then it was on to what I consider the best restaurant in Destin –Boshamps Seafood and Oyster House (boshamps. com). Yes, it’s pricey, but so delicious we ate there two nights in a row. The seafood gumbo and Oysters Rockefeller were my favorites. There’s usually a long wait, but you can sit on the dock overlooking the harbor until a table is ready. You might spot a frolicking dolphin or a blue heron.

By Jacob Nguyen

If you’re ready for a break from Tybee Island and want something less raucous than Panama City, then head to Destin, Florida for its famous white sand beaches and crystal blue water.

Destin is a little over five hours away from Atlanta, so my friend and I left around 9 a.m. on Friday, gained an hour crossing into the central time zone, and were having lunch on the beach by 1:30 p.m.

Our first stop was the Crab Trap (crabtrapflorida.com), which was just a short walk from our Airbnb. We were seated on the porch overlooking the beach and ocean. We ate a mound of crab legs with corn on the cob and a side of gumbo.

Then it was time to hit the beach. The water is clear and warm, and it really is the reason to visit Destin. We spent the majority of our time lounging and swimming. Be sure to bring a beach umbrella and plenty of sunscreen!

Evening is the best time to explore Destin and check out some of the attractions and sites. Destin Harbor Boardwalk is the epicenter of the town and is full of restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, and where to find sunset and dolphin cruises, parasailing, charter fishing trips, and snorkeling. You can book any of these activities and see options at destinboardwalk.com.

The boardwalk is a little hectic with tourists, but we decided to book a sunset cruise with Southern Star (southernstardolphincruise.com) to see the dolphins. I’ve been on these types of tours before and it's usually hit or miss, but we were inundated with dolphins. They were

racing alongside the boat, leaping out of the water, and being very playful.

The nearly 1.5-hour cruise ended with an incredible sunset view across the harbor as the boat took us back to the boardwalk. The cruise was $35 per person, but it was worth it in my opinion.

After another day on the beach, we headed back to the boardwalk to take a Hydrojet boat tour (hydrojetboats.com). These are long, sleek speedboats that take you on hourlong tours of the harbor, so if you feel the need for speed then hold on tight. This tour might not be for everyone. It’s bumpy, you get wet, but it is so much fun. We didn’t see many dolphins this time, but the boat experience is really what you pay $35 per person for.

One last food recommendation is to have breakfast at The Pancakery (thepancakery.com). There’s usually a wait here, too, but you can browse the adjoining beach shop until they text that your table is ready. The Blueberry Hill stack of pancakes topped with fresh berries is amazing.

While we stayed in a really comfortable Airbnb just across the street from the beach (the website Worldwide Traveler says there are more than 300 properties available in Destin), there are plenty of hotels. Whether you want something upscale or no-frills motel, there are plenty of options at hotels.com.

For more about visiting Destin go to destinflorida.com.

Destin Beach

A heron at Destin Harbor.

Dolphins frolic in Destin Harbor.

A Destin sunset.

The shops and restaurants at Destin Harbor Boardwalk

The view from Boshamps restaurant.

Summer Fun

Concerts, festivals, rodeos, and more in North Georgia and North Carolina

Check out these events:

Travis Tritt

The country star will perform at the Georgia Mountain Fairgrounds in Hiawassee on Saturday, June 10, at 7 p.m. Get tickets and more information at georgiamountainfairgrounds. com.

Blue Ridge Mountains

Wine & Jazz Festival

Head to Ellijay on Saturday, June 24, for this day-long event (11 a.m. to 9 p.m.) featuring music, food, fine art, and wine from regional vineyards. The cost is $70 per person. Get more details at gilmerchamber. com.

bull riding and more. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for kids, Get more info at mountaintoprodeo.com.

Authentic Unlimited

Slip over the border to Franklin, NC, to see the bluegrass band perform Friday, June 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts. Get tickets and details at smokymountainarts.com.

Gazers of the Galaxy

Ascend Georgia’s highest peak, Brasstown Bald, on Saturday, June 24, at 8:30 p.m. to get closer to the stars! Expert astronomers will be on hand to guide visitors on a tour of the night sky. Find out more at exploregeorgia.com.

Thunder in the Smokies

By Collin Kelley

If you’re headed to the North Georgia Mountains in June, there are plenty of events and activities to keep you entertained along with the usual hiking, paddling, and scenic views.

Mountain Top Rodeo

The 34th annual rodeo is set for June 9-10 starting in Dahlonega. There will be steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing,

The oldest and largest motorcycle rally in the southeast takes place in Maggie Valley, NC from June 30 – July 2. There will be music, games, and rides on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Visit handlebarcorral.com for more.

Mountain Top Rodeo

Chef Jacob Sessoms makes a culinary mark on Asheville’s dining scene

By Collin Kelley

Acclaimed chef and James Beard Award nominee Jacob Sessoms has made a culinary mark on downtown Asheville, NC’s dining scene.

The Nashville native founded Perfectly Ad Hoc hospitality group, the parent company for Asheville staples Table, Right There Bar, and All Day Darling. Sessoms pays homage to the Southeast and has cultivated long-standing relationships with local farmers and artisans.

After studying culinary arts and baking and pastry at New York City’s French Culinary Institute, now named The International Culinary Center, and working with renowned chefs, including Jonathan

Waxman and Peter Hoffman in Manhattan, Sessoms moved to Asheville in 2004 to open Table.

While working on the opening, he continued to hone his skills by working as a sous chef and pastry chef at Reza’s from nationally recognized chef Reza Setayesh.

Table opened in 2005 and has become one of the city’s go-to dining destinations with its daily-changing menu of fresh takes on classic American cuisine under the direction of executive chef Patrick Rumley.

Perfectly Ad Hoc’s bar director Malcolm Knighten develops drink menus that tell a story and are centered around seasonal ingredients from small producers and family farms nearby that complement the culinary offerings.

Curated by Sessoms and wine director Brett Watson, the wine list is filled with bottles designed to inspire conversation among the team and guests about where it came from geographically, who made it, why it should be on your table, and most importantly, “does it excite you?”

Next door, Table’s sister eatery Right There Bar serves the same craft cocktails list, plus beer, hot dogs and burgers.

All Day Darling, opened in the city’s Montford neighborhood in 2018, is a casual restaurant that is open daily from “sun-up to sun-down.” The menu includes fresh daily baked goods from Ashley Cort and her team, breakfast dishes, hearty salads, bowls, sandwiches, seasonal dinner specials, and snacks for kids.

The beverage menu is driven by Counter Culture Coffee and has an emphasis on coffee and tea infused with fresh herbs and spices. Bar director Knighten also serves a tight list of classic cocktails, including a bloody mary, margarita, negroni and dirty martini, plus craft beer and wine. Like at Table, Sessoms and Watson curate the wine list that features bottles from around the world.

Throughout the year, All Day Darling hosts monthly events including live music, guest chef dinners, collaborations with fellow local businesses and popular woodfired pizza nights.

De-shedding regularly, not only removes loose hair before it ends up all over your home, but also keeps your dog healthier and more comfortable!

Left, All Day Darling restaurant in Asheville, NC.

Above, Chef Jacob Sessoms

Georgia Tiny Home Festival returns to Lake Country

By Collin Kelley

The United Tiny House Association (UTHA) is bringing the 8th annual Georgia Tiny House Festival to Lake Country on June 24-25.

The event will be held at the Madison Lion’s Club Fairgrounds, 1311 Fairgrounds Road, in Madison, GA. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

Tiny houses on wheels, skoolies and bus conversions, van conversions, and other styles of small homes will be available to tour during the festival. There will also be tiny house celebrities, recognized leaders from the tiny house community, entertainment, speakers, vendors, artisans, food concessions, workshops, and more.

TheTiny House Festival will be UTHA’s 29th for-charity tiny house event, which has donated more than $773,000 from the admission ticket proceeds of its first 28 for-charity tiny house festivals to more than 100 different charities, non-profits, and to the local communities where it has held its events.

As UTHA Chairman and CoFounder John Kernohan states, “We held our very first for-charity tiny house festival in Eatonton, Georgia, back in March 2016, and now we’re returning to the area with our 29th for-charity tiny house festival. As they say, it’s good to be home.”

UTHA founders Kernohan and Fin Davies-Kernohan built their 304 square foot, off-grid tiny cabin more than a decade ago and travel the country in their towable 148 square foot tiny house, the “Tiny Firehouse - Station No. 9,” which is a tribute tiny house on wheels

honoring firefighters and emergency responders.

Tickets are $15 online or $20 at the gate. For tickets and more information, visit unitedtinyhouse.com